


a siren's song

by mnemonic_clouds



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Attempt at Humor, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Death Eaters, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sexual Content, Multi, Music, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:49:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26884666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnemonic_clouds/pseuds/mnemonic_clouds
Summary: After her father is admitted to Azkaban for dealing magical dark artifacts to a certain pureblood family, Jovana Swan is forced to attend Hogwarts after years of hiding in the muggle world following her father's sentence. Her short but memorable relationship with Draco Malfoy may complicate things as she arrives, but she has music to keep her sane and eventually lead her to discover truths about herself and the world as she knows it.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dracotok made me do it. My first story! Here's the first chapter of many! I hope everyone likes it :)

Chapter 1 

There was nothing comforting about the pairs of eyes directed her way as she walked along the platform at Kings Cross. Her mother was stuck to her side, guiding her through the wizards and witches sending a mix of glares and looks of hesitation. As if they hadn’t decided whether or not to judge. Well that was a little comforting. She walked in step with her mother up to the point where others soon-to-be students were parting ways with their families. It was inspiring really, a muggle in a sea of magical beings and she felt no trembling aura from her mother.  
  
“Okay my love, I believe it’s time,” her mother grabbed her shoulders and squared her towards her. She misread her mother’s aura in the way her hands were squeezing her shoulders rather harshly. Looking into her mother’s glossy eyes, she could tell her strength was dwindling, but she was using it all to ignore the watchers.  
  
“Now remember to write to me as soon as you can, I want to hear about everything,” her mother forced a smile which was mirrored and soon her own eyes glossed over. She wasn’t fully aware as to why; because she was leaving her mother behind, or because she was venturing into a new world alone with a sense of prejudiced animosity following her. She knew her strengths would be tested, just like her mother’s in this moment. Her mother meant to make the moment lighthearted, but even she couldn’t ignore the impending doubt that hung over both of their heads.  
  
Her eyes hardened, “and do not let your past dictate your future.” Her past. Her father. He was a virus that constantly made her want to heave. Not because of what he may or may not have done, but because his reputation tarnished his family’s. He was the reason for all these stares. He was the reason she was dreading finally going to Hogwarts. But it couldn’t be put off any longer.  
  
The deafening sound of the train whistle paused her thoughts and she was brought back. A few tears had fallen from her mother's eyes but she made no move to wipe them away. After a bone crushing hug, she found an open entrance and made her way into the train. She walked down the hall a few paces and looked out the window to exchange glances with her mother one last time. A tear started to make its way to her lips but it was gone as she harshly scrubbed her face. No tears. Not today. She needed to be strong. Stronger than her mother. Not for her mother’s sake, but for her own.  
  
Her next task was dragging her luggage to an empty compartment, but it was impossible, as every one she came across had been occupied. Shit. Looking into a compartment that held only one girl with platinum blonde curly hair, she surrendered her wish to be alone and hesitantly entered the compartment. Upon opening the door, the girl lowered the Quibbler she had been reading and looked quizzically at the girl.  
  
“May I sit here?” The intruder asked, still standing, ready to be dismissed. The girl simply smiled gently and nodded her head in accordance. She watched as the girl put her luggage in the above crate and took a tentative seat across from her. The girl looked towards the blonde and noticed her attire was rather… unconventional. A pink coat, a skirt splashed with color, blue tights, and boots. She felt bad for thinking this was why she was originally alone. There was something off about her, but that didn’t mean bad.  
  
“Swan.” Her voice was gentle and lilted as it took the girl out of her thoughts. She saw the blonde’s eyes drift upwards to the name engraved on her trunk. Her last name. Swan. She held onto a small chance that this fairy like girl didn’t know the reputation that came with the name. The girl locked eyes with the fairy. Blue. Very Blue.  
  
“Yes, I’m Jovana Swan.”  
  
“Hello Jovana, my name is Luna Lovegood.” Luna easily extended her hand for a shake. Jovana was hesitant as she gently grasped her hand only to give a small shake and immediately retracted it. Seemingly satisfied with the exchange, Luna offered another gentle smile. Jovana appreciated the kind aura of Luna, but noticed how eagerly her eyes took her in.  
  
“I don’t recall seeing you at Hogwarts before, are you a transfer?” So she didn’t know who she was. Good. Was it a good thing?  
  
“This is my first year at school. I was homeschooled up until now.” Jovana decided to keep her answers brief and simple, she knew she would have to tread lightly. Luna didn’t seem disturbed by this information at all, and simply nodded in accordance. Perhaps Luna caught on that Jovana was being distant for a reason.  
  
“Are you excited to be in school?” Perhaps not. This was incredibly awkward, but it didn’t seem to deter Luna’s questioning nature.  
  
“...Yes. I’m excited to be around people my age,” Jovana let out a small chuckle and Luna joined her.  
  
“I understand. I imagine being homeschooled must have been rather lonely. Though I’m sure you’ll fit right in.” Her words were encouraging and Jovana felt her walls beginning to melt away. She felt she could trust Luna, though she couldn’t pinpoint as to why. Her aura perhaps. She was a fairy, and fairies wouldn’t hurt a soul. 

Her doubt crept in and nestled itself behind her eyes, she wouldn’t fit in. She would be glared at the moment she walked through the gates. The thought made Jovana frown, “I’m not so sure about that.”  
  
“Is it because of your father?”  
  
Her eyes whipped up and locked with Luna’s, she knew. But as she stared in fear, Luna’s gaze held no judgement, no hostility, only curiosity. She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t disgusted. If she had known of her father why hadn’t she said anything until now?  
  
“I can tell he plagues you. I know they’re all rumors, and personally I don’t think they’re true.” She didn’t believe her father was a Death Eater like the rumors said. The fact was that Jovana didn’t know herself.  
  
“Thank you.” She said sincerely, “you’re the first person who didn’t succumb to them.” Her father had been taken to Azkaban but she had been told it was because of his involvement with the black market of magical artefacts. “All I know is he sold magical artefacts to pureblood families, perhaps not legally, and the buyers were argued to be followers of… You-Know-Who, so the conspiracy was that he was one as well.”  
  
“I read they were musical magical artefacts. And the papers mentioned the Malfoys. Though I’m not surprised.” The Malfoys. Jovana remembered them. When her father had been negotiating prices with them she had been brought to their estate once or twice. She tried to stop her subconscious from bringing those memories to the surface, and inwardly winced at the thought of seeing Draco Malfoy at Hogwarts. She hadn’t seen him since she was very young, perhaps he had forgotten about her. She could only hope.

“Is it true he found Mozart’s piano? I heard he was an incredible wizard.” Luna asked inquisitively. Jovana wouldn’t show it, but she was taken aback by how much Luna didn’t care that she was talking to a prospective Death Eater’s daughter. Luna was giving her a chance, and at that moment Jovana told herself she wouldn’t waste it.  
  
“Yes. They speculate whether or not Mozart involved himself with dark magic, but I believe he was simply an unparalleled musician. It says enough that his music is loved in both the muggle and wizarding world.”  
  
“I take it you’re a musician?” Jovana felt her face heat up at the assumption, even thought it was correct.  
  
“Yes. I love music.”  
  
“Perhaps you could show me sometime. I’d love to hear it.” Luna offered as another smile graced her features. This time Jovana smiled back in acceptance, and she suddenly felt herself breathing easily. The ride to Hogwarts didn’t seem so bad after all.

* * *

When the train reached the platform, and everyone started to gather their things and exit, Jovana and Luna followed suit. Luna put on an odd pair of spectrespecs and was looking curiously around at nothing. After asking, Jovana was told she was being cautious of Wrackspurts, which earned a shrug. Jovana asked Luna if they could hang back a bit to avoid the throes of students and eventual comments, she couldn’t avoid it for too long but she would try. Luna happily obliged and after a short while, they made their way through the cabins as per Luna’s request. 

The pair walked down the narrow corridors and passed each empty compartment, seeing one or two that had been left in a mess of wrappers or newspapers. Luna looked around cautiously in front of Jovana and reminded the witch to tread lightly. Wrackspurts sounded annoying from what Luna told her; invisible little creatures that clogged your brain and made everything fuzzy. Jovana passed a messy compartment when she noticed a head of platinum blonde hair walk briskly past through the window. She didn’t have to entertain the notion that it was anyone other than Draco Malfoy. She felt her feet freeze in place. She hadn’t expected to see him so soon. Well, she didn’t see his face but she knew it was him. Her hopes of seeing the little boy she knew all those years ago rose to the surface, but she felt a weight pushing them down, because she had a feeling that boy was gone. She could only hope the person who replaced him was just as interesting.

“Jovana? What are you doing?” Luna’s voice brought her to her senses and she realized Luna had moved a ways forward. Looking back once more at the empty window, Jovana caught up to Luna and they continued on. That was until they came to a carriage that had every blind drawn closed. Odd.  
  
“Cover your ears Jovana. There’s wrackspurts everywhere.” Jovana followed Luna’s instructions as they entered the carriage cautiously. Jovana’s feet treaded lightly behind Luna, and almost drew her wand but decided to keep her hands over her ears. Luna looked towards the ground and drew her wand.  
  
“ _Finite_ !” And suddenly a boy appeared before them, Jovana gasped and her eyes grew wide. How was he - What? The boy sputtered and looked to be catching his breath as he began to haphazardly rise to his feet. Luna lifted her spectrespecs from her face and greeted him.  
  
“Hello Harry!”  
  
“Luna! How’d you know where I was?” The boy, Harry, slowly straightened himself as she answered, Jovana watched the scene in awe, noticing his broken bloody nose. Who did this- Draco. It must have been. Everyone had been gone for a bit and Draco was the last person she saw walking from the direction of this carriage. Well that was quite telling. 

Upon further investigation, she recognized the boy to be Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived. Even in the muggle world news of his name filtered through the magical families. She could only imagine what his first year at Hogwarts was like, being famous. She felt similar in that sense, but she felt infamous instead.  
  
“Wrackspurts. Your head’s full of them.” At the mention of the creatures, Harry looked around curiously, he hadn’t found these ‘wrackspurts’ but he did find Jovana’s eyes. They stared for what seemed to be a while until Luna interrupted.  
  
“Oh Harry, this is Jovana Swan.” Luna stepped aside to let them properly meet, but they continued to stare, and Jovana lowered her hands from her ears. This was a peculiar way to meet someone. Especially Harry Potter. The exhaust of the train whistled in agreement. Jovana hadn’t really given enough thought to him to have a proper opinion of him, that would change tonight.  
  
She braced herself as her name was spoken, but was ultimately surprised as Harry simply nodded in greeting and said a simple ‘hello’. Jovana nodded back, suddenly more worried about Harry’s bloodied nose than her name’s reputation and what it meant to him. After Luna mentioned that they should probably get going, the three of them exited the train, and left the platform, heading for the path towards the castle.  
  
They walked in silence for a while, and Jovana let her thoughts drift to what awaited her, she didn’t know how to feel. She felt excited to be going to such a renowned school for witches and wizards, but she also felt bile rising in her throat at the thought of having to dive headfirst into a sea of new faces, welcoming or not. Deciding that dwelling on the what if’s would only make her anxiety worse, she decided to focus on her steps against the dirt, and the whistling of the leaves they passed. They held a small tune that only she thought to be beautiful. The trees were wonderful singers, and they always sang songs of what they’d seen. 

Jovana was listening carefully to a conversation between a pair of owls in the distance when Harry broke her out of her reverie.  
  
“Sorry I made you miss the carriages by the way.” He nodded to both Luna and Jovana. The trio started to approach a gate where a pile of luggage was being stowed. At the front of the pile stood a small man, which Jovana recognized to be a dwarf, but the dwarf held authority. Perhaps he was a professor?  
  
“That’s alright. It’s like being with some friends.” Luna’s words made both Jovana and Harry’s brows furrow in mild confusion. Perhaps it was quick to assume that Jovana and Luna had been friends, but Jovana would be lying if she hadn’t hoped so.  
  
“Oh I am your friend Luna!” Harry said as a matter-of-factly and as a reminder.  
  
“That’s nice.” She replied, looking to Jovana with a smile that Jovana read to be quite friendly. Perhaps they were friends, or at least growing to be.  
  
“Oh, about time!” The dwarf lowered what seemed to be a list and scrutinized the three stragglers, “I’ve been looking all over for you three! Right,” the dwarf looked back to his list, “Names?”  
  
A small pause before, “Professor Flitwick you’ve known me for five years.” Harry stated, confused by the Professor’s request. So he _was_ a Professor. Well at least the wizarding society was open to other species being magically competent. Jovana vaguely wondered what Professor Flitwick taught at Hogwarts.  
  
“No exceptions… Potter!” Jovana was preparing herself to state her name for Professor Flitwick when Luna interjected.  
  
“Who are those people?” Luna inquired, looking towards a group of people rummaging through the luggage. They all looked towards the Aurors as Flitwick answered, mentioning it was for security. Security for what? But Jovana didn’t have time to think much about it because of the blonde that caught her gaze. Standing not ten feet from them was Draco Malfoy, looking distastefully at an Auror as they questioned him about a cane, or something. Jovana felt her frame freeze again, and this time she didn’t quite like how easily his presence rendered her immobile. Jovana had been too caught up in their conversation to notice the gate close and a field redistribute itself behind it. She watched as a man in all black robes and shoulder length black hair walked up to the fuming Malfoy boy. 

“It’s alright, Mr. Filch. I can vouch for Mr. Malfoy.” Jovana noticed both Harry and Luna stood in silence as well, watching the scene unfold. She could tell they knew something, but she couldn’t tell what. Malfoy roughly grabbed the cane from Mr. Filch, and looked at the three pairs of eyes watching. Jovana felt her breath catch in her throat as she finally studied his face. He was definitely not the boy she knew, but she would be remiss to not admit that he grew well into his features. Even from ten feet away his eyes were piercing, almost like Luna’s but harsher, cloudier. But still beautiful. His eyes met hers and for a second she hoped her own gaze didn’t betray her. She was obviously starring, but she couldn’t look away. Had he recognized her? Perhaps not. But his gaze lingered on her longer than she would’ve liked, which meant something she couldn’t quite pinpoint.

The moment was broken when he moved his eyes to Harry, “Nice face Potter.” He sneered and turned to leave. It was definitely him that gave Harry that broken nose. Jovana felt a small rage fill her veins. He’s a bully. What Jovana feared had come true. Though she couldn’t say she was surprised, she remembered his father being quite rude and arrogant whenever they crossed paths, granted she was never on the receiving end, it was always her father. 

“Would you like me to fix it for you?” Luna grabbed her wand and faced Harry, who looked a bit apprehensive, “personally I think you look a bit more, Devil May Care this way, but, it’s up to you.”  
  
“Um, have you ever fixed a nose before?”  
  
“No, but I’ve done several toes, and how different are they really?” They were _quite_ different Luna. Jovana almost stepped in and offered to help him herself, but stopped, chuckling at the amusement of the situation. Harry looked over to her, hearing her amusement, and anxiously huffed.  
  
“Um, okay, yeah- give it a go.” Harry looked up and braced himself as Luna raised her wand to his face.  
  
“ _Episkey!_ ” The sound of the bone snapping back into place caused Jovana to cringe in fake pain and immediately sputtered out a laugh at Harry’s shout in real pain as he doubled over. Jovana covered her mouth as a way to hide her snickers but ultimately knew it did nothing, Luna looked over to her and smiled in triumph.  
  
“H-how do I look?” Harry looked between the two girls, searching their faces for any looks of pity in case it didn’t look that great. At this Jovana butted in with confidence and a small giggle.  
  
“Exceptionally ordinary.” Both Luna and Harry smiled.  
  
“Brilliant!”  
  
After testing his sense of smell with a few sniffs, Harry nodded and mentioned getting to the castle, as they were already late for dinner. Oh good, Jovana was starving, though she wasn’t sure if she would be able to stomach what awaited her in the Great Hall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you like it! Leave a comment if you'd like!

Chapter 2   
  


The sound of their footsteps echoed against the halls of the castle. Luna and Harry both changed into their respective house’s robes and the three of them made their way to the Great Hall only after they left Jovana was asked to leave her luggage to be searched and taken care of, all the while Jovana looked around in awe. The castle was quite daunting to say the least. She would have a fun time finding her way around for the first few weeks, and by fun she meant horrible. The bile in her throat rose higher and higher with every corner they turned, but both Harry and Luna’s encouraging words relaxed her a little.  
  
“I know you’re worried, but you have nothing to fear Jovana. Everyone has a place at Hogwarts,” remarked Luna after witnessing Jovana’s unease.  
  
“Thank you Luna.” Thanks to her new acquaintances, Jovana’s nerves stilled to a small buzzing in her chest and she could breathe a little easier.  
  
“If you don’t mind me asking, what house are you hoping for?” Luna inquired, looking over to Jovana with a small grin. Jovana hadn’t thought much of which house she’d like to be in, she honestly didn’t know. Her father was a Slytherin, and from her research there was a high number of dark wizards that came from that house. But she wouldn’t let the reputation of Slytherin deter her from it, just like she intended to keep her name’s reputation from tarnishing her experience as a student at Hogwarts.  
  
She shrugged, “I honestly have no clue.” 

“Well if it means anything, any house would be lucky to have you.” Harry’s voice was confident and kind and raised Jovana’s spirits by an inch. She thanked Harry and he nodded and looked forward, the light of the Great Hall coming into view. Oh jeez. The nerves were back. Jovana spotted the Aurors pacing and giving the trio a onceover, eyeing them curiously. She paid them little attention as the countless voices invaded her ears and she saw the four long tables with hundreds of students sitting and eating. So far they hadn’t been noticed, and Jovana half expected a hundred eyes to bore into her the moment she came into light, only they didn’t. 

Aside from a few, everyone was well occupied as Luna and Harry strolled forward down the middle aisle. Jovana caught up to them as Harry was nodding goodbye and went to sit in an open spot on the right long table. Jovana stayed close to Luna as she continued forward but didn’t miss the three pairs of eyes from Harry’s table following them. Perhaps they were his friends.

Luna’s voice broke Jovana out of her trance for what seemed to be the fourth time that day, “I’ll bring you to Professor McGonagall, you’ll have to be sorted into a house!”  
  
“Right.” Jovana swept her surprise off her face and continued forward and she spotted the front of the room, with a table and a handful of people seated, Professors probably. At the front of the table stood an elderly man with a very long white beard and rather kind eyes. They found hers and he nodded his head as their proximity dwindled closer and closer. She felt she could trust this man, and she felt safe, for the time being. 

“Hello Professor Dumbledore. Sorry we’re late, we had a run in with some wrackspurts.” Luna offered cheerfully, Jovana coming to stand by her side.  
  
“That is quite alright Miss Lovegood,” the Professor, Dumbledore turned his attention to Jovana, “you must be Miss Swan, am I correct?” His voice was low and rough but held the kind of authority that one would immediately bow to. Jovana found herself nodding as she tried her best to appear solemn.  
  
“Yes sir, I apologize for the tardiness.” She realized she almost repeated Luna’s words as they tumbled from her mouth. Her nerves were getting the best of her. She scolded herself, she was better than this. Dumbledore simply grinned and turned his head towards his right and motioned for another to join them. At that a woman in dark green and black robes and a rather pointy hat strode up to them quickly. This woman was not as warm as Dumbledore, but she held a similar sense of authority.  
  
“Professor McGonagall, would you please escort Miss Swan to my offices and have her sorted? I have a few words I want to leave with the children before we all retire.” Oh thank Merlin, Dumbledore must have sensed Jovana’s apprehension and asked her to be sorted in private. Even so, Jovana didn’t dismiss the feeling of more and more eyes glued to her back the longer they stood at the front of the room. McGonagall nodded briskly and assured Dumbledore everything would be done in time for lights out and raised her arms towards Jovana to escort her out. At this point Luna smiled soundly and nodded in goodbye, quickly joining her table of fellow blue-robed students.  
  
And once again, Jovana was walking down the aisle, this time with almost everyone’s eyes glaring at her. Her ears caught the hushed whispers of her name, and selected words like “father” and “Death Eater” from their conversations. It had started and from this moment on she would be constantly waiting for the end, and it was nowhere in sight. She settled for her look of dignified boredom as she passed the last students. McGonagall hastily escorted her from the Great Hall, and she felt her lungs take in a bigger breath as she followed the Professor through the corridors she had yet to memorize. This journey was much longer than the one from the entrance to the Great Hall, Jovana was beginning to think she’d never fully explore the castle within the time she had here. It was entirely eerie as they walked down the hall to what Jovana assumed to be Dumbledore’s office. Upon ascending the winding staircase they entered a room that could only be described as mystical, with numerous portraits and artifacts hovering and sitting upon cupboards, no doubt filled with more artifacts and books of magic.  
  
McGonagall walked forward and grabbed what Jovana assumed to be a sorting hat, “Here we are dear, I’ll simply place the hat on your head and you will be sorted into your house.” She gave a small smile meant to ease Jovana, but it didn’t work. Tentatively she stepped forward and the warmth of the hat enveloped her skull. It began moving and she jumped at the deep voice that resounded above her.  
  
“Now what do we have here, a very peculiar pupil indeed. I sense ambition, perhaps Slytherin?” Jovana inwardly ceased breathing at the mention of her father’s house. She felt conflicted, and the hat chuckled as it sensed her apprehension, “I see, there’s much more to you than meets the eye, isn’t there?” Perhaps, she wasn’t quite sure, but she was sure of her determination to be the best witch of her age, her family’s reputation be damned. Her whole life, she had been forced to keep her curiosity at bay, and she convinced herself Hogwarts would allow it to run rampant, which excited her. “Curious little thing, aren’t you? Better be... Ravenclaw!” A weight the form of a snake disentangled itself from around her throat and she released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Ravenclaw. That was Luna’s house. At least she had one friend in the same house as her.  
  
The hat was lifted from her head and she brushed a few strays of hair from her face as she met McGonagall. “Thank you Professor McGonagall.”  
  
“Of course my dear. Before I escort you to your dorm where you will find your luggage, I must be frank with you. I only wish you could have come to Hogwarts sooner to experience its better days, but the wizarding world has been through a trying time recently, and dark forces attempt to penetrate these walls constantly,” At the Professors words, Jovana swallowed, her thoughts drifting to her father and the numerous theories stacked against him. Dark forces, was he part of them? Had he been put into Azkaban for the right reasons? Was he rotting away as she traipsed around a castle? She wanted to believe her father was good, and had nothing to do with the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who, but her uncertainties kept her from giving him the benefit of the doubt. “So I must ask you to be cautious. I have no doubt you will do your best.”  
  
“Of course Professor.” Jovana bowed her head and with that was escorted from Dumbledore’s office and back into the labyrinth. McGonagall brought her to her dorms after informing her of where some classrooms were, and they soon came across a spiral staircase which they climbed. Jovana made to memorize this path as she would be needing it the next day. They strode up to the entrance of Ravenclaw’s common room, a door with no knob or keyhole but a bronze knocker. The knocker suddenly came to life and stared at the newly appointed Ravenclaw.  
  
“What belongs to you but people use more often?” Jovana looked at the knocker curiously. A riddle? Was this meant to be a joke? You gained access to the common room with a riddle? She looked over to McGonagall who put no effort into hiding her expective grin. She was watching intently, nodding as a way to tell her to answer.  
  
What belongs to you but people use more often? What was hers, but was something she didn’t use often. Or liked to use often. Jovana glared at the knocker, as if it had looked into her head and scored out her insecurities. Magic is peculiar, especially magic door knockers.  
  
“Your name.” She said, disappointed that the knocker brought her insecurities to the surface so easily. It was a riddle designed for her. McGonagall looked mildly impressed and quite satisfied as the door creaked open, revealing a large candle lit room in the shape of a dome. Beautiful arched windows and blue silks, tables and in the middle, a circular staircase directing down to what Jorvana assumed was the dormitories.  
  
“Now, you will find your luggage in your dorm, simply look for the open room, as a 6th year and a new student we’ve provided you a single. Please get some rest and don’t be tardy to your classes tomorrow morning!” And the Professor was gone.  
  
Jovana was left alone in the common room, she spun around taking in every detail, the bookcases, the carpet, and the statue of who she recognized as Rowena Ravenclaw, the house’s founder. Starting her descent to the dorms, Jovana simply hoped the next day would exceed her expectations and be trouble-free. But even she knew that was a shot in the dark.

* * *

Jovana felt her stomach was on the verge of leaving her body as she held her books close to her chest. There was absolutely no way any form of breathing or affirmation could keep her from staring in absolute annoyance at the door that shielded the literal sea of students that ebbed and splashed through the halls this morning from the classroom. Thankfully, Jovana had gotten about four nice hours of sleep before she paced around her room and decided sleep wasn’t a plausible option anymore, and decided that she’d simply be incredibly early to her first class; Potions with.. Professor Slughorn? Sounds like a wonderful fellow. Hearing the students run about was almost as amusing as it was annoying. People that weren’t punctual irked Jovana. Her father would always say; if you’re early you're on time, if you’re on time you’re late, and if you’re late, don’t bother showing up. Her father. Right. Let’s ignore that for a second shall we?

“You have Potion’s as well?” A feminine voice caused Jovana to whip around in her chair expertly chosen at the back of the room and met the same eyes that she caught as she passed Harry in the Great Hall last night.  
  
“Yes, are you a friend of Harry’s?” Jovana tried on her best friendly smile, even though all she wanted to do was glare and give this girl a taste of her own medicine. No, she wouldn’t take that route, if she did she would be in a different house. The girl looked a bit irked at the question as if it was obvious, and instead mirrored the smile.  
  
“Yes, I’m Hermione Granger, and you are?” She knew her name. Of course she did. There was no doubt in Jovana’s mind, but she still answered as politely as she could.  
  
“Jovana Swan, pleased to meet you. I met Harry last night with Luna Lovegood, we found him in a rather sorry state, is he alright?” Jovana lowered her voice once she mentioned the wellbeing of Harry, and Hermione’s mood instantly changed to that of a concerned mutual-acquaintance. Hermione nodded in accordance and assured Harry was okay, and asked if she had any idea how he ended up with a broken bloody nose. Yes, Jovana knew exactly who. Though at the thought of telling Hermione, a group of students bustled into the classroom, and speak of the devil. Or in this case, _think_ of speaking of the devil, and he shows himself.  
  
Part of the group of students was none other than Draco Malfoy, his blonde hair sticking out like a sore thumb. Sore indeed. Jovana caught onto the glare Hermione sent Draco’s way which he easily ignored to stare straight at Jovana, surprise etching into his features. Though this time Jovana didn’t hesitate in sending an equal if not harsher glare his way. Don’t fall into those pools Jovana. He’s horrid.

“Good morning students!” The Professor entered the room cheerily and closed the door to make his way to the center of the room, in front of his desk. “Welcome to Potions class! I am Professor Slughorn. I am pleased to be back at Hogwarts, and do hope you find this class enjoyable. Now as per protocol, we must go over the necessary safety requirements-” Jovana meant to pay attention but she knew enough about potions.

Just because she spent the second half of her life in the muggle world, it didn’t mean her mother starved her of magical knowledge. She praised her Aunt Mavis for sending her books throughout her days and read them cover to cover. She only had her wand for a couple of years now, after convincing her mother it was about time to at least try a few spells. Even then, her mother kept her from trying any daring spells or spells that could cause any mass destruction. Let’s just say their house was always been going through repairs. The only downside to her homeschooling was her inability to practice her magic, that’s what excited her about finally attending Hogwarts.  
  
Her thoughts were once again interrupted when the door to the classroom slowly and painstakingly opened revealing Harry and a redhead, one of the redheads that had been seated with Hermione last night. The class had eyed the intruders, but it took a moment for the Professor to notice as he had his back turned away from the door, demonstrating the effects of a potion Jovana stored in her subconscious.  
  
“Ah! Harry my boy I was beginning to worry,” Slughorn acknowledged the tardy students. Jovana felt an annoyed aura from Hermione, was this a common occurrence? “You brought someone with us I see.”  
  
“Ron Weasley sir, I’m dead awful at potions, a menace actually, so-” While Ron Weasley tried to convince his way out of the class, Jovana found the aura next to her shift to the girl to her left. Her hair was tied to the side and a band wrapped her head, but what was more interesting was the look of pure infatuation towards the Weasley boy. Hermione didn’t look quite pleased. Was that a hint of jealousy she saw?

“Now as I was saying, I prepared some concoctions this morning,” As Harry and Ron went to the cupboard to grab a potions book, Slughorn rounded the table with the supposed concoctions and eyed everyone, “Any ideas what these might be?” The class stood in silence for a moment until Hermione’s hand raised in confidence, Jovana knew the answer but found she was short of that confidence. Could Hermione spare some?  
  
“Yes Miss-”  
  
“Granger sir.” Slughorn nodded and the class watched as Hermione hesitantly walked forward to the table of potions. “That one there is, Veritaserum. It’s a truth telling serum. And that one there is Polyjuice Potion. It’s terribly tricky to make, and this is.. Amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world. It’s rumored to smell differently to each person according to what attracts them.” Hermione was well-read, she’d give her that, but truly knowledgeable people knew that Amortentia was incredibly powerful because it imitated infatuation to a tee. Real love could never be replicated in the form of a potion.

At this point Harry and Ron made their way to stand behind Jovana, who nodded in quick greeting. 

“For example I smell, freshly mown grass and, parchment and.. Spearmint.. Toothpaste.” The class watched as Hermione took a breath and hastily returned to her spot next to Jovana. Once Hermione had returned however, a notable smell invaded Jovana’s senses. The sea, stewed apples, pencil shavings and.. Fresh linen.  
  
Was the Professor speaking? She couldn’t tell. His mouth was moving, but she didn’t hear a word. All she felt was a soft tug on her heart towards the potion, but was quickly pulled back by Hermione. Jovana looked back in thanks to the girl who saved her from the trance she unknowingly fell under. The other girls of the class moved slowly and were also snapped from the trance as Slughorn topped the potion. Powerful indeed.  
  
“Sir, you haven’t told us what’s in that one.” Another girl pointed towards the vile nestled between a clamp. The class eyed it curiously.  
  
“Ah yes, what you see before you ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion, known as Felix Felicis. It is more commonly referred to as-”  
  
“Liquid Luck.” Jovana’s words fell out before she processed them. Every pair of eyes, including Draco’s stared at her for the interruption. Oops. The things she would do for that vile. She desperately needed some luck. This time she felt frozen, even Hermione stared in annoyance. Did I steal your thunder Granger?

“Yes, Miss-” Slughorn offered a smile and paused, suddenly unaware of his student’s name. Right. Her name.  
  
“Swan sir. Jovana Swan.” Jovana offered quickly, looking squarely at the Professor in order to block out the now heavy stares dripping with disdain. If only she could down that vile of luck, her confidence would challenge the animosity that suddenly filled the room, but alas.  
  
“Swan! Of course! I had heard you would be joining us here at Hogwarts. You know I had my worries about you with those rumors about your father but they’re simply rumors aren’t they? I can tell you’ll make a fine student.”  
  
“Of course sir.” That’s all she could say. Even Jovana knew anyone could see the anxiety rolling over her shoulders in waves. Her ears caught the hushed whispers that ran around the room like rats, even Hermione looked to her in pity. 

Regardless, she kept her face in a stern expression, feigning dignity. It took every ounce of strength she had to not break her stance and meet Draco’s scrutinizing gaze. She vaguely wondered what her childhood friend- acquaintance smelled from the Amortentia. She hated how easily he could make her knees buckle in fear. She wasn’t weak. Not in the slightest. But enter Draco and her walls are shot down. Was it her hope that he wasn’t the bully she knew him to be? Her heart was fickle and it was causing her weakness. Damn that thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read this far, thank you! This one got a little long, oops. Enjoy! Leave a comment if you'd like!

The next few days had gone by at a snail’s pace as Jovana found herself starting to familiarize herself with the castle and her schedule. Her classes had been exactly what she expected and then some. Though she had made some more acquaintances, Luna had introduced her to Neville Longbottom, who had a knack for herbology which she admired. She also met Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan; they were an interesting pair of blokes, charming and hilarious, though you could tell they skimmed their textbooks. Jovana was also introduced to a fellow Ravenclaw, Cho Chang, she was welcoming at first but Jovana caught onto the underlying tension between them, Cho obviously didn’t trust her which made sense. But Jovana didn’t think earning her trust was a priority. No, her current priority was finding a quiet place where she could read.  
  
The season had started its metamorphosis and eventually it would be too cold to read outside, and Jovana was tired of sitting on stones in the courtyard. She much preferred a mossy spot under a large tree, giving just the right amount of shade. She pulled her blue and silver lined scarf closer around her neck and continued her trek towards the entrance of the castle. Hermione told her there were some nice spots to read near Hagrid’s Hut, she noticed Hermione spoke highly of Hagrid, and imagined a bear of a man with gentle eyes.

A few days in the company of hundreds had tested Jovana’s strength and ultimately her patience. She was getting over the fact that her name would be whispered everytime she presented herself, but was starting to find it quite irritating. Had they nothing better to do? She supposed muggle schools were no better. Gossip followed anyone and everyone, magical or not.

“Swan!” A strikingly loud voice caused Jovana to turn, facing down the hall to watch a small group of girls make their way towards her. They all looked malicious, she couldn’t tell their houses since everyone elected to wear normal clothes on the weekends. Slytherins probably by the looks of their grins. She had never seen these people in her life. Or perhaps she had. She couldn’t remember.  
  
“Yes?” Her brow furrowed in annoyance, soon the sun would begin to dip and she was losing precious reading time. One girl stepped forward and introduced herself.  
  
“My name’s Pansy. Parkinson.” Jovana already wanted to smack that daring little smirk off this girl’s face. She raised her brow in confusion. Was she supposed to know who she was? “I simply wanted to get a look for myself.” Pansy eyed Jovana entirely with no attempt at hiding her distaste.  
  
“Look? At me?” Where was this coming from? Did this girl get a rise out of being incorrigible? Each second that passes is another grain of sand making her hands heavier. Eventually they’d be heavy enough to curl into a fist and knock the daylights out of this girl.  
  
“Yeah, the daughter of a Death Eater,” Definitely a Slytherin. Definitely asking to be smacked. The small group of girls that surrounded her snickered and began their whispers. As if Jovana hadn’t been hearing them all this time. “Come on we’ve all heard the rumors.”

Jovana narrowed her eyes in anger, but immediately realized this 'Pansy' was trying to rile her up. She meant to upset her. Well it worked. But Jovana wouldn’t let her have the satisfaction.

“That’s all they are. Rumors.” Jovana began a small waltz forward, coming within inches of Pansy’s face, whose conviction started to drain. “And if you had any sense in that protruding forehead of yours, you’d keep them to yourself.” Jovana didn’t resist the smirk that raised her cheeks as she turned and made her way to the open doors of the castle, her ears picking up on the gasp that left Pansy at her comment. Bitch.

“You stupid little mudblood!” Her steps almost faltered but she had heard the word before, though it had been awhile since she’d heard it. Was that the best Pansy could do? Name calling? A perfect example of the lowest form of intellect. Even so, she thanked Merlin she was walking away, she didn’t want Pansy to see her frown.

* * *

Jovana finally found a nice spot of solace under a tree nestled near the shores of the Black Lake. The clouds had covered the sun, but there was still a good amount of light left. For a moment Jovana relished in the silence, finally free from the whispers and the eyes that tried to hide but failed. Luna had been a comforting presence as a fellow Ravenclaw, and Jovana decided that perhaps she could label them as friends finally. Especially after Luna started calling her Jo. She quite liked that. Only one other person had called her that.

An hour into her reading, Jovana felt her eyes ache, and decided to rest her head back against the bark of the tree and closed her eyes. Her ears picked up on the sound of the leaves being rudely jostled by the wind, and the numerous conversations of the birds in the distance relaxed Jovana’s aching shoulders. Eventually the ebb and flow of the waves of the Black Lake called to her and she vaguely picked up the sound of laughter from the courtyard. Suddenly a muffled melody met her ears, Jovana brushed it off, thinking perhaps someone had been singing in the courtyard as well, but as the melody lilted and dipped down the chromatic scale and resolved, Jovana’s eyes opened abruptly.  
  
She knew this tune. Memories of her childhood flooded back to her in the same way the melody invaded her thoughts. She even recalled singing it once when she was little, the words coming to her as easily as walking. But where was it coming from? Her eyes wandered over to the shores of the Black Lake. She had read that mermaids lived in the Black Lake, but any knowledgeable person knew that a siren’s song was meant to lead sailors to their deaths. Men. No this was different.  
  
Jovana didn’t feel pulled to the Black Lake like a siren’s song was meant to do to anyone who listened. Jovana felt the urge to sing the words she didn’t understand, yet they were engraved into the side of her head like her first words. The voice was haunting and at the same time angelic, but Jovana didn’t feel necessarily safe. Simply intrigued.  
  
Brushing herself off and standing hastily, she walked slowly towards the shores of the Lake, peering into it’s black waters for a face that belonged to the voice. But she found nothing. This was odd. And frightening. 

The last time she heard that song was the last time she saw her father. 

He reprimanded her for uttering the words she desperately wished to understand, and forced her to swear to never utter them again. There was no rhyme or reason as to why the song was embedded in her mind, but after that night, she turned to music to keep her sanity at bay.

She learned as much as she could and became incredibly proficient in the piano and cello, even the harp. Her repertoire grew exponentially, and staring into the black waters, her fingers itched to rest against ivory. She wouldn’t sing the song, but maybe she could play it. She wondered if there was a piano in the castle. There had to be.  
  
Turning to head back, she was stopped abruptly by the tell-tale crunch of a twig, and she caught Malfoy’s stare. How long had he been there? Had he been watching her?  
  
“What are you doing here?” Jovana questioned, not having enough thought to lace it with anger.  
  
“What are _you_ doing here?” Wow. Those were the first words Draco Malfoy uttered towards Jovana Swan in more than 8 years.  
  
“I asked you first.” His chuckle at her retort caught her by surprise. His hands rested in his trouser pockets and his hair was windswept, yet he made no move to fix it.  
  
“You know, the Black Lake is off limits. You could get in serious trouble.” His tone reverted back to a stinging accusation. An odd sense of familiarity overcame her, he spoke like this when they were young.  
  
Jovana paused, “so you _do_ remember me.” 

She couldn’t help the small smile that graced her lips. And at the moment Jovana could only stare in awe at the tailored boy before her. He may have been soured by his years but it gave him an appealing look somehow. She made a point to never stare for more than a few seconds, especially after her first night here, but this time she didn’t stop herself. She wondered if he was having the same thoughts. She suddenly felt a bit self conscious. He frowned.

“Of course I do. You were always running amuck the times we met. Always so eager to play our piano,” he said off-handedly. A moment passed and he corrected himself, narrowing his eyes to daggers and attempting to pierce her, but it didn’t work. Maybe the Malfoy boy hadn’t changed as much as she thought. He was always trying to patronize her.  
  
“You always liked my playing.” Jovana hadn’t noticed until now that she had inched closer while he hadn’t moved a muscle. They were now a few feet from each other. His breath came out in subtle clouds, a clear sign of the changing seasons. She watched as his jaw locked in annoyance. But he didn’t correct her. He simply stared. Still, she couldn’t help her teasing as she attempted to close the distance. “You were never quite good at it were you? Even your father liked my playing. I recall he said-” She was forced forward with a harsh tug on her scarf.  
  
“Don’t talk about my father.” Draco spat harshly, now inches from her face. The moment was lost to the wind and Jovana felt a chill over her. What happened to him? His voice was obviously cross, but even with furrowed brows, a slight pain washed over his visage. “He never liked you or your father. You filthy m-”  
  
“Mudblood.” It was Jovana’s turn to send daggers towards Draco. She was used to being called one. But she never expected to hear it from him. Her rage filled her to the brim and she was on the verge of letting her fists say what they wanted, but she knew better. And a small sad inkling told her to keep his pristine face clean, even though she had the urge to send him back with a bloody nose, similar to the one he left with Harry. Part of her wanted to bring that up, maybe another time if there was one.  
  
Jovana took a final step towards him and stared straight through him. “I understand. What would possess a pureblood to be friends with a mudblood? Even worse, what would people think if you were seen with the daughter of a possible _Death Eater_?” On her last words she finally let her anger take over her hands and push him backwards, causing him to lose his footing but not enough to fall over. Whatever. She quickly marched over to the tree, picked up her book and continued towards the castle. The sun was setting anyway, and this time she didn’t bother looking back. But if she had, she would’ve noticed the regret on Draco’s face.

* * *

The candlelight flickered as it floated at a reasonable distance from her reading spot, but the seemingly serene atmosphere did nothing to calm her still boiling blood. Dirty blood, according to him.

The common room would have to suffice for the rest of the night. Thanks to Draco she was forced to retreat inside, no not retreat, that would mean she lost whatever argument they had. Not a week into school and Jovana had made not one, but two enemies; both Slytherin. One a conniving bitch, and the other a blonde bigot. On her way up the spiral staircase, she came up with a list of insults to throw at him the next time he dared to show his face, she didn’t care how pretty it was.

“-to dinner?” Luna’s voice brought her out of her clouded thoughts, lifting her head and closing her book. Jovana set her book down and bowed her head as a dull ache took over her head.  
  
“I’m sorry Luna, what did you say?” As Jovana looked into Luna’s curious eyes, her anger began to dissipate and she decided to put Draco on a back burner in her mind. She could be angry another time. Luna stepped closer coming to the table Jovana was seated at, eyeing the book she closed in haste.  
  
“I was wondering if you were planning on going to dinner. Though you seem a bit occupied. What are you reading?” Luna asked, nodding to the book. Jovana looked down and remembered what she wanted this evening to consist of, reading about one of her favorite composers. The thought made her grimace as she answered timidly.  
  
“Its- uh.. Collection of essays on Claude Debussy… A french composer.”  
  
“I know him! My mother mentioned him once or twice.” Luna said in recognition. Jovana was pleasantly surprised that Luna knew of Debussy, he was an incredible musician, one of her favorite songs being ‘Clair de Lune’. She knew it by heart. Oh how she wished she could play it.  
  
“Luna,” started Jovana, gently rising as if to join Luna, who understood and moved back a step to let her through, “do you happen to know if there’s a piano in the castle?” They began their exit and descent to the main corridors, passing the occasional student, no doubt going to the Great Hall as well.

“I know there’s one in the choir room. But Professor Flitwick doesn’t let anyone in unless it’s for rehearsal, especially after a student jinxed it to play the wrong notes one year.”  
  
“...Oh,” Jovana didn’t know if she should laugh or cry, “nevermind then.” The subject dropped as did Jovana’s heart, she told her mother in her letters that she was doing fine, but if she had her music, it wouldn’t have been a lie. Getting her frustration out in the form of crescendos and sforzandos was her best outlet, and the castle had so many songs hidden in it’s crevices. Jovana simply wished for a way to give them a melody and maybe even write them down. Her fingers itched.

They walked in silence for the remainder of their journey to dinner. Jovana was glad Luna had asked for company, her stomach was growling by the time they turned the last corner and the sound of bustling students and the clang of utensils filled their ears. The Great Hall got less and less daunting as each night passed, people still stared, but by now Jovana was used to it. She just had to ignore her two (2) enemies, and everything would be fine. Fine. What a rudimentary word.

“Have you heard of the Room of Requirement?” Luna suddenly inquired, stopping Jovana in her tracks, just as they were about to enter the Great Hall. Yes she had heard of it, but in every book and tome about Hogwarts that mentioned it, it was considered a myth. But this is a magical room in a magical castle filled with magical beings in a magical world. Was it so hard to believe?  
  
“I have. Why do you ask?” Jovana answered. The light from the hall shone on their faces as they entered and took in the room, passing Filch looking as leery and untrusting as usual. She spotted Hermione’s curls and Ron’s red locks, Harry sitting across from them. She took a step before deciding to round the Ravenclaw table and walk beside the Slytherin table, preferring to have her back face the green robes. Catching up to Luna, they took a seat across from each other and Luna resumed their conversation as they began filling their plates.  
  
“If you’ve heard of it, then you must know that it only reveals itself to those in need.” Luna’s signature grin showed behind her cup as she drank. The two Ravenclaws had a silent exchange and Jovana immediately nodded in understanding. But she couldn’t go look for it could she? It showed itself when it was needed, not looked for. She could convince herself she needed music easily, but would the Room believe her? Surely the room could tell the difference between wanting and needing, and the more Jovana thought about it, the line seemed blurred when it came to her and music.  
  
“I can see you thinking.” Luna chuckled, setting her cup down. Jovana shifted in her seat, attempting to calm the wrinkle in her forehead and smiled sheepishly.  
  
“Sorry.” They ate in silence for a few moments, Jovana’s eyes occasionally drifting to the Gryffindor table and eyeing the trio. Maybe Harry or Hermione knew something about the Room of Requirement. Luna was being cryptic, but she was always cryptic, it was something Jovana appreciated about Luna. As a Ravenclaw, she was curious, but people were just as curious about her. And not in a bad way, not in the way students from every table failed at being obvious in their stares towards Jovana.

Jovana was picking at her plate when she felt a kind of pressure on the back of her skull. No doubt another rude pair of eyes, scrutinizing the back of her head like a newspaper article. Was it interesting at least? The back of her head? An exasperated sigh escaped her lips and Jovana went to take another sip of her drink, noticing Luna peering to the table behind her. What was it? Jovana’s brows furrowed in confusion and her question was answered as a shrill giggle sounded from behind her. Oh.  
  
Luna’s eyes met hers again, giving her an apologetic look. Jovana sighed again, sitting up a little taller but keeping her back to them, but the chuckles persisted. Not again.

“Psst. Swan. Swan!” Pansy’s voice broke through the chatter of the hall and made Jovana grip her fork a little tighter. She was not in the mood. She didn’t bother hiding the way her eyes rolled, causing Luna to tighten her lips in amusement.  
  
“Oh come on I know you can hear me.” She raised her voice but was still hoarded by the halls countless conversations, Jovana was aware there were listeners from both tables. Yes she could hear her, but she was a little too stubborn and pissed off to grant her the attention she wanted. She was a whore for it, Jovana could tell.  
  
“Did you really summon a... dementor?” Pansy whispered loudly, causing a few more heated stares to aim at Jovana’s back.  
  
Her pulse froze and immediately quickened, her blood running cold. The memory of a dementor staring straight into her clawed its way to the forefront of her mind. Her skin prickled and her fork froze on its way to her mouth. She looked up to see Luna frozen but casually trying hiding her surprise. What did she think of her now? How did Pansy know about that? Not even her parents knew of that memory all those years ago. In the midst of her panic Jovana searched her mind for how Pansy could have learned about this, and then it dawned on her, causing her to abruptly turn in her seat with a look that rivaled the Killing Curse. Panic was replaced with rage, and she moved past Pansy’s wicked grin and settled on Draco’s frown.

The only other soul that witnessed the dementor in the drawing room of the Malfoy Manor was Draco Malfoy himself. And he told Pansy. He was dead.

Jovana’s eyes were furious as they broke past his tired gaze and forced his regret to surface, though nobody saw, they were too busy gasping and starting a chain of whispers. Brilliant.  
  
“So is it true? How did you manage to summon a-”  
  
“If I could have your attention please!” Dumbledore’s voice boomed over the hall before Pansy could finish her accusation. The hall silenced in a wave and everyone turned their attention towards the front of the room, ceasing their conversations and meals. Jovana, however, continued to stare into Draco’s cloudy resolve. She wanted to break it. Even Pansy and the group of listeners were taken by Dumbledore’s presence as he began a speech.  
  
Any accidental onlooker could tell how furious Jovana was, she even thought she felt Luna’s pity from behind her, but she ignored it. Draco was an insect, and before today she planned to ignore him, but now her foot felt heavy with the need to crush him into the dirt.

She needed to get away. Before her anger morphed into embarrassment and the tension in her shoulders made her break down in tears.

Before she knew it students were rising from their seats and the familiar sounds of loud chatter overran her thoughts, snapping her out of her reverie. She watched Pansy rise and give a teasing look and laugh before she left with her party of pick-me’s. Dumbledore had dismissed the students to bed and dinner was over. Jovana didn’t think as she quickly rose and joined the procession, ignoring the faint call of her name and exiting the Great Hall in haste.  
  
Her feet moved swiftly through the hordes of students on their way to the dorms, taking a corridor she hadn’t explored and continued, with no destination in particular. The voices started to lower in volume but overwhelmed her still. Her breath was quick as she started into a jog and then a sprint, running under ornate arches and past openings that revealed the night sky. Her fear propelled her forward until she couldn’t take it any longer and abruptly hunched over, her hands on her knees, gasping for air. Her hand pushed against the nearby wall and she attempted to catch her breath.

She didn’t know if her fear came from the way the students starred in panic, and the hushed exchanges that followed, or the dementor her subconscious kept envisioning. She remembered how it’s withering veil and boney reach made her body shake in terror. It took her years to keep her nightmares at bay and to finally cease, and it suddenly felt like all that work was crossed out with the flick of a quill. The ink was spilled, and soon every soul in the castle would know it.

It was all his fault. Draco. Fucking Draco Malfoy. Jovana thought she managed to get the hang of things, and then he decided to show his putrid, perfect face. She knew she’d never forget him, but she never expected him to come back and haunt her. What had she done to deserve this?  
  
The sound of laughter and hurried footsteps made Jovana jump, quickly running further and rounding another corner. Her knees buckled and finally gave out, causing her to lean on a wall and slowly slide down into a pathetic ball. As she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head, she didn’t bother trying to keep her tears from falling. Perhaps she wasn’t as strong as she wanted to be. _I’m sorry mother._ An ache overcame her and she closed her eyes in subtle pain, swallowing her hiccups, daring to not make a sound.  
  
Jovana only had a moment of silent self pity, as the rough scraping sound of heavy stone made her lift her head in sudden panic. She spotted the moving stones just ahead of her, magically forming an arched entrance with a door that hadn’t been there before.

Cautiously rising to her feet, Jovana brushed herself off and inched forward, staring at the intricacies that lined the entrance to the mysterious room. There was a small part of her that told her to stop, and run for the dorms, but she was quickly hushed and the curious part of her took another step. 

Pushing open the ornate wooden door, Jovana found a room that could only be described as a small cathedral. The expanse was small, but the ceilings were high, stained glass decorated the walls, lit by candles that floated through the air. It was exquisite, simple yet elaborate. Jovana noticed a small loveseat upholstered in dark blue sparkling fabric sitting in the corner, a small table beside it. Jovana inched toward the small bookcase that stood behind it against the wall, and upon closer inspection, noticed it had books and binders labeled with the name of composers and their works. Music.  
  
A sweep of air behind her made her skin tingle and she turned, her breath hitching in her throat. The opposite corner was covered by a large sheet hanging from the tall ceiling. Jovana walked forward and tentatively grasped the sheet, noticing its midnight color and the stars speckled across it. Taking a breath, she pulled back the sheet and her breath was taken from her in a instant. Before her stood the most beautiful grand piano she'd ever seen. 

There was no doubt about it. This was the Room of Requirement. And for the first time that night, Jovana felt herself smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 yay! Things are heating up! If you've liked it so far feel free to comment! Thank you for reading!

It took ages for Jovana to leave the music room the castle gave to her. Her music room. With her mood positively boosted, she quickly made her way back to the dorms and managed to catch a few hours of sleep before the sun rose and she decided to get some breakfast. Ignoring the faint memory of the night before during dinner, Jovana practically skipped through the Great Hall to take a seat next to Luna, who was chewing on some toast.  
  
“Good morning Luna.” Jovana said pleasantly, grabbing her own piece of toast. Luna looked over her with a shock and dropped her toast to stare in slight worry.  
  
“Jo! I was worried about you! Where have you been, are you alright?” Luna’s voice was still airy as it rose in volume, almost scolding her friend. At her tone Jovana grimaced, realizing her happy mood made less sense in accordance with what went down last night.  
  
“I’m sorry, I just- I had to get away.” Jovana wanted to leave it at that, but she felt she owed her friend a better explanation, Luna’s brows softened but her anxiousness was well written on her face. Before she would say anything, Luna sighed and nodded in understanding.  
  
“I understand... I’m sorry they treated you like that.” She went back to her toast, leaving Jovana to wonder if Luna thought less of her because of the new rumors that were no doubt making their way through the castle. Being the daughter of a possible Death Eater is one thing, and summoning a dementor is another, but not entirely far from the tree. “I won’t hold it against you, if that’s what you’re thinking.” _The rumors about you summoning a dementor._  
  
Jovana appreciated that the two Ravenclaws could have half conversations with each other, saying one thing aloud and saying the other with their eyes. They read each other well, as if they were both open books.  
  
“Thank you Luna.” Jovana smiled, taking a sip of orange juice. “I know there’s a lot stacked against me, and it’s all very confusing, I haven’t been able to make much sense of it myself,” she said dejectedly. Then she remembered what the rest of the night consisted of, and what she stumbled upon. “But I found it.” Her eyes lit up in excitement which Luna read easily.  
  
“Does this mean I get to hear you play?”  
  
“Of course!” Jovana lowered her voice and leaned forward, “though we should be cautious.” Luna simply smiled and nodded, as if she’d done something like this before. Cheeky.  
  
“Perhaps later today, after the Quidditch tryouts, I’m going to watch, would you like to come?”  
  
Even though she desperately wanted to go back to her music room, she knew she needed to be smart about her visits, plus she hadn’t gone outside since her altercation with that stupid blonde git. It was for Gryffindor’s team anyway so he definitely wouldn’t be there.

“Sure why not?”

* * *

The weather was overcast and a chill ran through the air, but Jovana welcomed it, not minding the cold but appreciating the fresh air. The pair made their way up to the Quidditch pitch, spotting Hermione sitting by her lonesome.  
  
“Hello Hermione. May we sit with you?” Hermione looked up from her hands wringing in slight apprehension. She looked a little awkward sitting by herself. Upon seeing Luna and Jovana she smiled and nodded, Jovana sitting in between the two.  
  
Hermione looked over them and made small chit chat as the Gryffindor students gathered in the center of the field, all chatting wildly as Harry and a girl who Jovana learned was Ginny Weasley, Ron’s younger sister, stood next to him. Ron was all padded up standing at attention amidst the chaos of students. He seemed to be taking it in seriously. 

Jovana felt the tension roll off Hermione in waves, knowing the rumors undoubtedly made it to the Gryffindor common room. After a while of silence, Jovana broke it.  
  
“I know you’re curious Hermione, go on... ask your questions.” Jovana smiled half-heartedly, Hermione looking to her in shock, probably not banking on the prospect of Jovana being so open.

She sputtered, caught in her silent judgement and straightened herself. “I’m sorry Jovana. I-”  
  
“It’s alright.” She said painfully, it was inevitable, but Hermione wasn’t as forgiving as Luna and Jovana knew this. She wanted to call Hermione her friend, and keeping these deep dark secrets from her would make it fake, and Jovana wasn’t going to get through Hogwarts on fake relationships. She wasn’t Draco.  
  
“Is it true?” It was a simple question. With a simple answer.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
By now Luna was listening in on the conversation which was welcomed by Jovana, she deserved to hear this too. A chill ran through the three seated on the wooden bleachers. In the midst of the sudden change, Ron looked up to the trio and gave a half-hearted wave, which Luna and Hermione shyly sent back. Jovana stayed still.  
  
Her anxiety bubbled and she felt for a second that she was alone again, did they think differently of her now? Of course they did, she summoned a fucking dementor. She needed to explain herself, perhaps save herself.  
  
“I was a child. And I had no idea what happened. It was completely by accident… It was... horrifying.” She gulped, feeling both stares at her as she looked onward. “That was the last day I saw my father.” Dread was accompanied with pity, and when her company didn’t immediately stand and abandon her on the bleachers the moment she said the words, she considered them her friends.

“And Draco was there?” Luna piped in, earning a nod from Jovana.  
  
“Yes, it was at his Manor, that’s why the whole school knows.” Jovana was bitter but she felt herself laugh at the situation, he rather mucked everything up didn’t he?  
  
“Ugh, that cockroach.” Spat Hermione, making Jovana chuckle again, the tension being carried away by the wind.

The scrimmage started and Gryffindors were flying around tossing the ball and screaming at eachother. Ron was spotted guarding a ring, and on the opposite side a boy was doing the same, giving a quick glance straight at Hermione. Jovana felt her shiver and chuckled which earned an annoyed huff from the Gryffindor girl.  
  
This boy looked perfectly smug as he sent Hermione a smirk after every block. Jovana narrowed her eyes, did they know each other? Were they seeing each other? Jovana was sure from the way Hermione acted in Potions class that she had a thing for Ron, especially with her constantly sending daggers to Lavender Brown.

From the looks of things, Ron was barely holding on, making everyone jump when he narrowly kept himself from falling off his broom. If Ron didn’t catch up, he wouldn’t make the team. Jovana barely knew Ron, but was acquainted enough to silently root for him.

“ _Confundus._ ” Jovana caught Hermione’s whisper and watched as the smug boy was pushed to the side, missing his block. Her eyes went wide, and she nudged Hermione as she laughed. Hermione quickly shh’d her and continue to watch the match, trying to hide her tiny smile but failing, only making Jovana chuckle harder.

Ron made a final block with his helmet and the watchers started cheering signaling the end of the scrimmage. Luna, Jovana, and Hermione joined in claps, Jovana and Hermione having a moment by rolling their eyes over Lavender’s overexcitement. She _was_ rather annoying.

With tryouts settled, everyone made their way from the bleachers to the castle. Hermione mentioned waiting for Ron and Harry, and bid them goodbye and that they’d see each other in class.

As they walked up towards the nearby entrance of the castle, Luna mentioned going to the library to get ahead on some homework which Jovana eagerly agreed was a good idea. Going to her music room in the middle of the day with so many students running around wasn’t the smartest choice, so the library was her next bet.

Coming up to the steps of the arched entrance, Jovana felt a shiver run through her, causing her steps to slow and Luna to look back in worry. Someone was watching them.  
  
“Everything alright Jo?”  
  
“Yeah,” she answered, feeling a tad off, and she had an idea why, “you go ahead, I’ll catch up.” After a moment of staring and Jovana silently conveying that she was okay but to be cautious, Luna nodded and left her alone. Or so she thought.  
  
Her brow arched in mild rage as she broke off from the steps and rounded the stone entrance to its side, finding her spectator hoping to be a fly on the wall. Why wasn’t she surprised?

“What are you doing here?” Jovana seethed, seeing Draco straighten himself and tried to brush off the embarrassment of getting caught. He settled to lean against the stone, popping his foot attempting to look cool. Idiot.  
  
Before he could deliver a half-assed response she interrupted, “Why are you following me?” Draco looked at a loss for words but clicked his jaw in annoyance. He looked like he didn’t want to be here, like he was forced.  
  
“I wasn’t following you.”  
  
“Don’t lie to me Malfoy.” The use of his surname caught them both by surprise. They definitely weren’t currently chums but they used to call each other by their first names. He even had a nickname for her, but that was years ago. Things were different now. Jovana shifted in her shoes, her fists staying curled ready to finally give him that bloody nose and send him to the hospital wing. “Are you here to apologize? For telling the entire school about my little incident in your drawing room?” She inched closer, the heat of her eyes burning a hole through him.  
  
“Yes.” _What?_  
  
“What?” Did she hear him correctly? He actually wanted to apologize? Is this some sick joke?  
  
“No it’s not a joke.” He answered sternly. Had she said that out loud? She stayed put, fighting to keep balance on the crooked terrain. His eyes were as cloudy as ever, and they were pleading. As a Ravenclaw, Jovana loved to read, and that included reading people, she was quite good at it, and he was telling the truth.  
  
The night was starting to envelope the grounds and the moon was starting its climb to a spot in the sky. Meanwhile, Jovana faced one of her (2) enemies and found herself at an odd crossroads. She was upset with Draco Malfoy for a number of things, and he wanted to apologize. This had to be a joke.  
  
“I told you it wasn’t a joke!” His breath pushed against her face harshly. Fuck. She did it again. They were now inches from each other, and for a split second she thought she saw his eyes drop to her lips. A huff escaped Draco making her face tingle, he tried to look anywhere but at the girl in front of him, his discomfort clearly showing on his face.  
  
“Well go on then,” Jovana found her strength again and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting, “apologize then.”  
  
Draco scoffed, an ugly sneer wiping over his face. He found her eyes again and took a steadying breath, “I wanted to apologize for my behavior, at the Lake,” _when I meant to call you a Mudblood and dismissed any connection we might have had as kids,_ “and for telling the others about.. You,” _-summoning a dementor in my drawing room._ “Things have been.. Different,” he spat.  
  
“Different.” Jovana mocked, her brows coming together, frown deepening. She was frowning for a multitude of reasons, the main one being she needed to force her eyes to stay on his and not drift down. Stop. Just- _Stop._

“Yes..” He looked at her tentatively, trying to read her, but he wasn’t as good as she was at reading people. “It has been a while since we saw each other last, you’ve changed, as have I.” Draco managed to say with a little dignity. Oh that wouldn’t do.  
  
“You’ve changed? You mean you’ve turned into a bully? Into a self-righteous, pompous pureblood who prefers to hand out bloody noses and information that isn’t theirs to tell?!” Her accusations caught Draco by surprise, but he was just as stubborn as her, if not more.  
  
“Potter had it coming for him, and I was there too! I saw the dementor too! In my own home!”  
  
“What, so you think we’ll be friends now? Like the good ol’ times? It’ll take a lot more than that horrendous excuse for an apology. I take it you don’t do that too often, you should brush up, Malfoy.”

“What more do you want me to say Jo?”  
  
“You don’t get to call me that,” she hissed, pointing her finger at his chest for emphasis. “Not until you can keep me and that filthy word out of your stupid mouth.” This time she couldn’t help the way her eyes caught a glimpse of his mouth. At that he receded, blowing air out his nose in irritance.  
  


“And if that seems too tall of an order for you Malfoy, consider this our last conversation, ever.” She left him there, marching into the castle, to process her promise of never speaking to him again and as much as she hated him in that moment, she hoped he’d allow her break it.

* * *

Jovana was restless, tossing and turning in her bed and settling to stare at the starry sky painted on her ceiling. She thought finding constellations would take her mind off Draco Malfoy but it was futile. Her mind was swimming, and she was already running on 4 hours of sleep. She found Luna in the library but only managed to study for less than an hour before she started to drift, apologizing and packing up her books, going straight to her dorm. Now she lay in her bed, thinking about what she would write in her next letter to her mother.  
  
 _Hello Mother,_  
 _My first week at Hogwarts as been utter hogwash. Remember Draco Malfoy? He's an absolute arsehole and every time I see him I can't decide whether or not I want to punch him in his perfect teeth, or snog him. On the bright side, I've made some wonderful friends, oh, and the castle opened up a magical secret room with a piano in it so at least I have music again. Speaking of music, I heard a strange familiar song coming from the Black Lake and I think it's connected to me summoning a dementor. Oh yeah I never told you that. I also think it may be connected to father being sent to Azkaban and being accused of being a Death Eater. But other than that everything's been just peachy. How are things with Coda? Are you feeding him? Oh and please don't use those cat toys with him, you know he'll just eat them._  
 _Love, Jo_  
  
Maybe Jovana could just use her classes as an excuse for not writing immediately to her mother. Her mother knew enough about the wizarding world, but she didn't want to scare her. Her mother particularly hated the Malfoys, and always argued with her father about his negotiations with them and his artifacts. Who knows what she would think about Jovana's conflicting feelings regarding Draco? Draco.   
  
He was following her yes, but to apologize. Odd. She hadn’t known this version of him for more than a week and she knew he wasn’t the type to apologize. Bullies didn’t apologize, they just continued to make fun in repentance, hoping their insecurities would dissipate with every negative word they spouted. Draco must have said enough in his time at Hogwarts to cover his insecurities, Jovana remembered even as a child, Draco was very guarded.  
  
His walls were made of stone, and Jovana wanted to take a hammer to them. She wanted the boy who slipped her a smile when she played the piano, or chuckled when she played a wrong note. The boy that stood next to her as the dementor stared her down. The boy that stood before her tonight was different, he was shooting arrows from a guarded keep, and she wanted to burn to the ground.  
  
No, that wasn’t right, he needed to lower the drawbridge and let her in. And if he was trying to apologize, that must mean his bridge was down, but she refused to walk through. Instead she sent her own arrows, but he deserved them. He deserved to be put in his place.  
  
Ugh, psychoanalyzing was draining. Jovana was overthinking things. Draco should be the last thing on her mind.  
  
She _should_ be worrying about the song that’s been stuck in her head since she heard it from the Black Lake. It was plaguing her, almost as much as Draco was, and even he was connected to it. She vaguely wondered for a moment if he heard the voice from the black waters.  
  
The song she sang for him that day.

The song she sang that may have been the cause of the dementor.

The song she sang on the day she last saw her father.

She would get to the bottom of this. The Ravenclaw in her wouldn’t stop until she had answers, and she had a sneaking suspicion she would have to go to Draco for a few. Brilliant.


	5. Chapter 5

Jovana had only managed to visit her music room twice in four days and she was itching to play. Her knee nervously bounced under her desk as she watched Professor Binns drone on about the intricacies of magic mirrors and it’s foundations. Jovana was interested for the first five minutes of the lecture, but her mind wandered to the blonde who sat a few rows behind her, obviously staring at the back of her head.  
  
It was days since her last words with Draco, and he kept his distance, much to Jovana’s irritating chagrin. She should be happy that he was probably donning one of his famous frowns. She should be happy that she was getting what she wanted, but now she was questioning if what she wanted was what she originally thought. _Snap out of it Jovana._  
  
She was still quite upset with him, and her pride would keep her from doing anything until he did, if he did anything at all. No, today she wanted to continue her research on the Black Lake, and the mysterious creatures that dwelled in it’s musky waters.  
  
The class was dismissed and the students left in haste, eager to leave the dreadfully dull atmosphere. Jovana took a steadying breath and waited a moment before standing and making her way to the front of the classroom, missing Draco taking a longing look at her back and finally exiting the room as well.  
  
“Professor Binns, could I have a world?” Jovana asked, coming up to the ghost professor hesitantly. He looked up from his hunched position with a frown.  
  
“Yes Miss Swan?”  
  
Jovana halted, unsure of how to ask her question, “I was in the library the other day looking into.. Merpeople, and I was wondering if you happened to know anything more regarding their origins?”  
  
Professor Binns seemed pleasantly surprised that a student came to him with such a question, it meant he could talk, and he loved to talk. “As far as we know, there are estimated to be a handful of subspecies of merpeople, and in regards to their origins, it is believed the Sirens were the first, they preferred the warmer waters near the coast of Greece.”  
  
“Sirens, according to Greek mythology, lured sailors to their deaths with music.”  
  
“Correct Miss Swan, but the intricacies of their culture have been discussed for centuries, so I’m afraid to say that there's not much officially recorded. I can tell you Sirens are the most dangerous of the merpeople. Many believe them to be dark creatures because they sought to kill and perhaps feast on sailors. I also recall the merpeople were offered the Being status but chose to be considered Beasts, like the centaurs. Most wizards choose to stay out of merfolk affairs, the main reason being their language, Mermish, can only be understood underwater.”  
  
“I see. Well thank you for your time.”  
  
“Of course Miss Swan.” The apparition nodded from his seat and Jovana left the classroom, realizing she would have to do some more digging. There was something she was missing, but she had too many loose ends.  
  
Siren’s used enchanted melodies to lure sailors to their deaths, and Jovana’s song came from a place occupied by merpeople, but they weren’t sirens, they were selkies. Perhaps all forms of merfolk had music in their culture, this song in particular.  
  
Then there was the song itself. Jovana wrote down the words to the best of her ability, but even she couldn’t recognize the language, and no book in the library gave her any clues. Perhaps it was so ancient it had no record.  
  
Jovana was already formulating her plan to visit the Restricted Section when she entered the Great Hall and joined Luna who eagerly put a bread roll on her plate.  
  
“Do you want to go to the library later?” Jovana asked, with no intention to study or to go to the library at all. Luna understood after exchanging a knowing glance, nodding her head.

Dinner went by quickly and soon Jovana was leading Luna through the halls and away from the students retiring to bed. Coming up to the wall that revealed her music room, she placed her hand on the stone and soon enough a wooden door appeared before them. Jovana looked over to Luna, who was smiling expectantly, as if she was the least bit surprised. She _was_ the one to mention the Room of Requirement to Jovana in the first place. They entered the room and both took in it’s beauty, the candles coming to life. Jovana felt a small weight she hadn’t realized was on her shoulders lift and dissipate. She felt like she could breathe easily in this room.

“Isn’t it wonderful?”  
  
“It’s beautiful.” Luna stood in the middle of the room, eyeing the piano and then the corner with the loveseat and selections of music. Walking over, Luna examined the bookcase while Jovana took her seat at the piano.  
  
“Any requests?”  
  
“I don’t know much about music enough to choose. What’s your favorite?” Luna mused.  
  
“Probably Debussy, Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, there’s too many.” Jovana answered simply, turning to watch Luna look up to the top shelves. Jovana still hadn’t been able to go over every piece on file, she never had this much music at her fingertips, it was a bit overwhelming. She watched as Luna lifted on her toes to reach for a book, and when her finger touched the spine it magically floated from its spot and across the room, narrowly missing Jovana’s ducked head to sit on the stand and open to a piece.  
  
Luna quickly made her way over and stood next to Jovana. They stared at the piece for a moment.  
  
“Do you know it?”  
  
“Yes thankfully, I haven’t played this one since I was home. You ready?” Jovana beamed, stretching her hands, finally able to share music with a friend. She never thought she’d be doing that. Luna nodded and Jovana took a breath, reading her fingers over the ivory, and began.

Her fingers were light as they danced across the keys, her ears adjusting to the sound coming from the piano and filling the room like a gentle cloud. Her eyes occasionally drifted from the music to watch her hands, and she found her body easily swaying with the melody, the crescendos and sudden diminuendos furrowing her brow as she concentrated. Luna’s presence was small and comforting as she listened, and Jovana couldn’t ask for a better listener, or a better friend.

* * *

Jovana managed to keep Draco Malfoy out of her head for a total of two days before he weaseled his way back in when they met eyes as he entered Slughorn’s classroom. Thankfully it was Friday, and Jovana could effectively ignore him for the weekend, not that she wanted to, but her pride had quite a grip on her rationale.  
  
No matter how she tried to work around it, she kept coming up on dead ends with her little siren research project, and she knew she couldn’t go to Luna or Hermione, if this was as serious as she thought, she didn’t want to drag them into this.  
  
Draco on the other hand, was a bystander, and has probably thought about it too.  
  
The class went on as expected, Jovana chatting with the trio at their table, with occasional witty remarks from Dean and Seamus. After Slughorn assigned a small assignment he dismissed the class with a good amount of time to spare until Jovana’s next class, so she took her time cleaning up and taking her leave, doing her best to ignore Draco's stupid stare that made a home at the back of her head.  
  
The corridors were, for the most part, empty as Jovana walked, head held high as she turned a corner. She was immediately blind-sighted when she felt a pair of hands overtake her and drag her into the nearest broom cupboard. The hand covering her mouth in the dark stayed still as her assailant lifted their want and uttered a simple Lumos. She recognized his voice immediately.  
  
The light caught his irises as he bored into her panicked ones, she tried to raise her voice but he held her face firmly against the stone wall, hissing to keep her silent.  
  
“Don’t make a sound. You hear me?” Draco whispered loudly, she heard no malice, but she was still quite shaken, and her blood boiled at his words. Who did he think he was? Pulling a girl into a broom cupboard with no warning whatsoever?  
  
‘You absolute sod.’ Jovana said against his hand which pushed on her lips, defiant as ever.  
  
“I’ll remove my hand if you just listen to me and be quiet.” Draco was trying to keep his anger from taking over in the way he started to sneer and Jovana noticed, finally conceding and relaxing, mouth firmly shut.  
  
Draco gulped and slowly removed his hand and attempted to take a step back but forgot they were in a broom cupboard, forced to share a confining space. Jovana was left to slightly lift her head to send her deadliest glare, which made Draco gulp again.  
  
“You have five minutes.” Jovana cautioned lowly. Draco rolled his eyes and stared down at her.  
  
“It’s been days, and I haven’t said a word about you.” That was true, Jovana noticed she saw less of Pansy and her flock, and there were less stares and whispers of her name. But did he really think it would be that easy?  
  
A moment of silence before Jovana harshly whispered, “Do you want a cookie? A medal for being a decent human being?” She may have been shorter than him but that didn’t deter her in the slightest, still she focused her energy on her anger, and not the way his breath fanned over her face.  
  
“I apologized and I’m doing as you asked!”  
  
“Great! Are we done now?” Jovana made to grab the handle of the door but was stopped by Draco, who quickly caged her against the wall. His hands held her shoulders tightly when she tried to fight him, trying to push on his chest but quickly learning that he was much stronger than she anticipated.  
  
“Wait,” He shut his eyes as he collected himself, trying to formulate the words as she was forced to settle down under his grip and look away harshly from the light emanating from his wand still in his hand. “I know you’re researching sirens.” That changed things, for better or worse, Jovana couldn’t tell.  
  
“How do you know that? ...Why are you stalking me?”  
  
“...I-” He seemed hurt by her accusation but he didn’t have an answer. Not good enough.  
  
“Why do you even care? You want to learn more about me? Are you going to start another rumor? Tell Pansy that I-”  
  
“I was there too Jo!” He raised his voice enough to stop her, this time she didn’t correct him, too busy trying to understand which instance he meant. Their faces were now inches from each other as he hovered over her. “I overheard you talking to Binns, and I can help you.”  
  
“Help me?” The tension shifted and Jovana couldn’t tell what made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, the prospect of learning exactly how she managed to summon a dementor and possibly cause her father to end up in Azkaban, or the way Draco’s pupils dilated and gazed at her, not even hiding his obvious glances at her lips.  
  
“That day by the lake,” their breaths mingled, Jovana cursed herself as she heard her breath hitch, “I heard the song coming from the waters. The same song.” It was peculiar, how they were talking about something so dark while relishing in the way their staggered breaths made the other’s skin crawl in apprehension. He remembered everything, just as she had, and it plagued him just as it plagued her. They were both haunted by it and therefore drawn to each other. Perhaps there was more to it, but Jovana wasn’t interested at the moment.

“Okay,” she said in the smallest whisper, finally mirroring him to look at his lips now inches from hers.

She chanced a glance back to his hungry gaze and he immediately closed the gap, pressing his mouth over hers as she writhed in his grasp. The light was snuffed but they didn’t need to see as they both closed their eyes. Draco’s hands moved up to hold her head firmly, his lips molding against hers and they breathed in each other's sighs. Jovana squeaked when he brushed his tongue on her bottom lip and she felt her knees buckle.

Draco’s thumb brushed her cheek as she sighed into his mouth, her hands firmly grasping his robes close to her chest. Jovana pulled back to catch her breath, panting as Draco opened his eyes to bore into hers matching her quickened breath. His eyes weren’t cloudy this time, they were crystalline, perfect pools she wanted to drown in. She leaned forward to plant one, two, three more harsh kisses to his lips, and they were suddenly on her neck, making her swallow the moan that rose from her chest.  
  
“Draco,” she sighed into the air, his chuckle against her neck making her shiver.  
  
“No ‘Malfoy’?”  
  
“Oh shut it.” He laughed into her neck, planting gentle kisses on her jaw and right under her ear. Her hand went to his blonde hair, involuntarily giving a tug, causing him to release a huff against her skin. He liked that. 

She brought her other hand up and pulled him from her neck by his hair, meeting his mouth again, letting him swallow her moan as a way to muffle it. Then a terrifying thought made her freeze and pull away.  
  
“We’re going to miss class!” Her panicked eyes met his annoyed ones and he scoffed, leaning down to resume his trail of kisses on her neck.  
  
“Just skip,” he said into her neck. She shivered and scoffed at the same time. Skip class? Did he know who he was talking to? Jovana promptly tugged him from her neck and stared at him again much to his chagrin. As much as she wanted to stay in this broom cupboard with Draco Malfoy, she was not going to skip class. Being as gentle as one could in a hurry, Jovana pushed him back and straightened herself, brushing down her hair and grabbing her wand, lighting up the room once more.  
  
She held back a smirk at Draco’s mussed up hair and drew her lips together instead, “Meet me in the library tonight. Okay?”  
  
Draco ran his hands through his hair, trying his best to straighten it out, nodding. “Okay.”  
  
Jovana carefully opened the cupboard and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light, listening for anyone nearby and deciding now was a good time as any. Before she would leave, however, Draco grabbed hold of her hand and eyed her neck, carefully bringing his wand to it and putting a glamour over the bruise he left. Jovana meant to say thank you but his satisfied smirk stopped her and instead she rolled her eyes, quickly making her way to her next class, ignoring the way her heart was buzzing in her chest.


End file.
